ASUS P7P55D Deluxe Review

Introduction:

When we first heard news of the i5s, there was much speculation that they'd perform worse than the i7s. However, after seeing the scores, it's easy to see that the i5s aren't your little brother's CPU. This means, if you decide to purchase an i5, you can't just pair it with a generic run of the mill motherboard. You'll need something capable of unlocking the new CPU's full potential, as well as supporting your complete arsenal of hardware. Asus has got a board that should be able to do just that!

The Asus P7P55D Deluxe is chock full of some of the coolest features I've seen on a motherboard. It's easy to see that when Asus was designing this board, it wanted it to be the most awesome thing in existence. Ranging from special "MemOK" button to a Hybrid Processor, this board has got just about everything you could want. This is thanks to Asus's Xtreme Design.

Xtreme Design is Asus's new method for designing products, and it brings us several very cool features, one of them being the Hybrid processor. This TurboV chip will make it much easier for users to get the best overclock on their hardware. The Xtreme Design doesn't only deal with overclocking features, it also brings us Asus's new Hybrid Phase. This allows for a super multi phase design and real time load balancing, which will result in cooler temperatures. Along with these hybrid features, we'll also be presented with a Hybrid OS. Enough talk, let's take a look at the new features Asus has designed for us.

Closer Look:

As always, packaging is important. Paying $200 and then receiving some smashed up pieces of PCB is never fun. In order to prevent this, manufacturers have taken extra steps in packaging its components. The Asus P7P55D Deluxe came in a very shiny blue box. The front of the box lists a few of the P7P55D's features. These consist of the 16+3 power phase design, a TurboV Remote, and TurboV EVO. The rear end of the box gives a complete set of specifications and features. It also gives a more detailed description on the TurboV Remote, as well as some information on the auto-overclock features.

Lifting the front cover reveals further information on some of the P7P55D Deluxe's features. These include the Express Gate, which is basically a mini-OS in the BIOS, the EPU, which is supposed to be a superior energy saving utility, the onboard power switch, and Asus's Q-Design. There is also information on the MemOK! button, TurboV EVO, T.Probe, and Drive Xpert.

The sides of the box are almost identical. The only difference between the four is that one of the longer sides shows the UPC.

Opening the box reveals the motherboard manual, as well as the accessories. The P7P55D Deluxe lies directly beneath the accessories. It's securely placed in an anti-static bag to ensure you don't receive a fried motherboard.